Eurovision is taking place in Liverpool later this year and the city will also receive the ‘official keys of Eurovision’ live on air at the end of this month.
The popular Eurovision Song Contest is an annual song-writing extravaganza that sees mainly European competitors battle it out to be crowned the winner, usually with an array of spectacular and varied performances. Last year, Ukraine was victorious.
Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), who organises the competition, broke from tradition after ruling it would not be safe to hold the 2023 contest there. Liverpool beat off competitors including Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham to play host.
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Many are already planning their celebrations, with thousands expected to descend on the city to watch the event, and the celebrations keep coming. On January 31, the ‘official keys of Eurovision’ will be handed over to Liverpool live on the BBC. The Mayor of Turin in Italy - the city which played host to last year’s event - will travel to Liverpool for a handover ceremony.
The ceremony is to be hosted by Rylan and AJ Odudu. This occasion will also reveal which semi-final participating countries will compete in via an allocation draw. The BBC announced children from a local Liverpool school and members of the Ukrainian community, who have been living in the city since the war began, will also be involved in the allocation announcement.
The contest is due to take place in May, with the final being held on May 13, 2023. The UK, Italy, France, Spain and Germany automatically secure a spot in the final because of how much they pay to enter. Prior to this, the remaining 31 acts will sing in two semi-finals, with 10 countries from each show qualifying.
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